Complexes,process for preparing them and their applications



United States Patent 3,440 234 COMPLEXES, PROCESS EOR PREPARING THEM AND THEIR APPLICATIONS Michel Asfazadourian and Marcel Prillieux, Mont-Saint- 3,440,234 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 ably from 0 to 250 C., and still more advantageously from 20 to 150 C. The reaction may be performed at atmospheric pressure or under increased pressure. Its length is generally a few hours. The product of the re- Aignan, France, assignors to Esso Research and En- 5 action may be precipitated in the reaction medium in the gineering Company, a corporation of Delaware form of the unsaturated hydrocarbon/ metal halide com- No Drawing. Filed June 10, 1965, Ser. No. 463,020 plex, which may be separated by filtration.

Illt- Cosf 27/02, 27/04 As the solvent, it is possible to use aromatic hydrocar- 2 Clalms bons, such as benzene, toluene, etc., gasoline fractions or mixtures of organic solvents.

According to the invention it is possible to use:

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (a) Dior poly-halogenated olefins in which two halo- Unsaturated hydrocarbons/metal halide complexes are gen atoms py either y POSitIOIlS ill flation prepared by reacting a halogenated hydrocarbon (an olefin t0 f B1 'Y'Y or contlgllolls or aromatic hydrocarbon) containing at least two halogen POSltlOIlS 111 felatlon t0 the double b B,j 'Y, 7 P atoms with a metal carbonyl at a temperature within the h s ts y, moreover, Contam aromatlc 11116161 range of 0 to 250 C. The resultant complex may be talnmg addltlonal double 9 converted into an amorphous, crosslinked polymer by con- MOIIO- P' Y- Y poly-substltuted tacting the complex with water so as to dissolve the metal matlc hydrocarbons havlng two more halogen atoms, at halide contained in the complex least two of which are extra-nuclear.

The complex compounds according to the invention take the form of solids and are, in general, powders. They The present invention is concerned with new olefin/ have in Partlcular the followlng Properties: metal halide complexes, their preparation and their apinsolubility in organic Solvents; pllcatlonsgreat resistance to heat.

The complex compounds according to the invention have a structure which may be represented by one of the Magnet measurements Show that these complexes are following formulae: not Paramagnenc:

The metal hahde 1s linked to the organic part by a (|3HCHTCHCH bond that is liable to be destroyed by polar solvents, by

R MeXp R n hydrolysis or by electronic bombardment. or Among the interesting applications of these complexes, we wish to mention in particular their conversion into I amorphous polymers by mere contact with water, in which #3114311 the metal halide is dissolved. These polymers are infusible, R R withstand heat up to 350 C. without decomposition and MeXP can be fritted at ambient temperature (15 to 20 C.) under high pressure (2000 bars). They are cross-linked 1n whlch.

(1nsolub111ty and 1nfus1b1hty). Thelr compos1t1on, exthe 1de 61131115 may Q PY Ortho, meta or p P05010115; 40 pressed as percentages of constituents, corresponds to the Me 15 a metal btjlongmg'to Groups VI, VII of V III unsaturated hydrocarbon structure; this structure corref the Peflodlc Classlficatlon and Capable of for'mlng sponds to the organic molecule as may be ascertained in metal carbonyls; infra-red light.

p is the valency of the metal Me; 1 EXAMPLE, I X is a halogen; V 1 t th n is an integer preferably ranging from 1 to 5000; and f g f q f fi 3 i R and R are hydrogen atoms, alkyl, alkylene, alkyl or i mg mm 10 Onna e utenes an meta alkylene-aryl groups which may or may not be halocar Ony genated The reaction was performed by heating for a varying number of hours at a pressure of 1 bar.

The complex compounds accordmg to the mventron can After filtering and drying, the various complexes were be prepared by causing halogenated olefins or halogenated obtained in the form of fine powders. aromatic hydrocarbons to react with carbonyl metals in Table I gives for the different complexes obtained th the presence of a solvent at a temperature ranging preferproportions of reagents and the conditions of the reaction:

TABLE I Complexes A1 A2 A3 Nature and Proportions of the Components of the Reaction:

Solvent:

Nature .l Benzene Benzene Xylene. Quantity 1.000 ml 1.000 ml 1.000 1111. Metal carbonyl:

Nature Ni(CO)i Ni(CO)4 Fe(CO)5. Olefffiuantdy... 1 mole... 1 mole 1 mole.

Nature 1-4 dichlorobutene 2..- 3-4 diehlorobutene 1 1-4 dichlorobutene 1. Quantity lmole 1 mole lmole. Conditions of the Reaction:

Temperature, C 60 /110. Time, Hours 2 2 38.

Yield in relation to diehlorob ene Appearance of the Compound obtained Structure of the complex 50. Fine pale brown powder. [CHr-CH=CHCH2] 79 Fine red-brown powder l NiClz FeCl:

These different complex compounds Were insoluble in organic solvents. In particular, unsuccessful attempts were made with pentane, hexane, heptane, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, decaline, tetraline, CCl CH Cl, BrCH allyl bromide, acetone, dioxane.

When these complex compounds were heated in an enclosed vessel in an atmosphere of nitrogen they remained stable. On continuing to heat them regularly and slowly, it was found that they turned black at about 350 C. and considerable decomposition occurred.

The elementary analyses of complexes A1, A2, A3 confirmed that it is possible to attribute to these complexes the following raw formula: (C H MeCl Me representing Fe or Ni.

The value of It cannot be determined, for the complex is not soluble in organic solvents. This latter property suggests that n is at least equal to 1500, and may assume much higher values.

It has moreover, been possible to ascertain that in all cases, the two chlorine atoms are attached to the metal and not to the organic radical. By means of infra-red spectrometry it is nevertheless found that the organic chain may contain up to 2% of chlorine which has not reacted and there is a very small quantity of the functions C=O.

EXAMPLE II Under conditions similar to those of Example I, different complex compounds according to the invention were prepared, starting from metal carbonyls and aromatic hydrocarbons.

Table II gives, for the different complexes obtained, the proportions of the reagents and the conditions of the reaction.

completely disappeared by dissolving. This was achieved by three washings in the cold. The polymers were separated by filtration, followed by drying in a vacuum; they took the form of finely-divided white powders.

The elementary analyses showed that these polymers complied with the general formula (C H it was not possible to ascertain the value of n, but it can be assumed that this value is the same as that of n in the formula of the complex.

The polymers A1, A2 and A3 are practically identical compounds.

EXAMPLE IV EXAMPLE V The measurement of the resistivity of the polymers of Example III and Example IV furnished in all cases identical results:

at 300 Hz. cycles ,0 in the region of 10 ohms/sq. cm./cm.; at 10,000 Hz. cycles p greater than 10 ohms/sq. cm./cm.

EXAMPLE VI The polymers of Examples 111 and IV were heated in TABLE II Complexes B1 B2 B3 B4 Nature and Proportions of the Components of the Reaction:

Solvent:

Nature Benzene p-Xylene p-Xylene. p-Xylene. Quantity (ml.) 1.0 1.00 1.000. 1.000. Hydrocarbon:

Nature wwpdichloromopdichloromndichloroxylene wm'p.dichloroxyleno.

xylene. xylene. Quantity (mole) 1 l 1. Metal carbonyl:

Nature Ni(CO)4 Ni(G0)4- Ni(CO)4 Fe(CO) Quantity (mole). 1 1 1 1. Conditions of the Reaction:

Temperature, C 80 80 110/120- 110/120. Time, Hours 8 8 2n 1 Yield in relation to diehloroxylene 9 9 9% 50. Appearance Fine powder Fine powder Fine powder Fine powder.

Structure 'CH CH:- CH (p CH2- -CH CH2 N101; n NiClz n FeClz EXAMPLE III The various complex compounds A1, A2 and A3 of Example I were brought into contact with water. The complexes decomposed, the metal halide dissolving in water. Polymers corresponding to A1, A2 and A3 are thus obtained.

The hydrolysis was performed by washing the complexes with an excess of water until the metal halide had a closed vessel in an atmosphere of nitrogen. It was found that the polymers A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 and B4 could be heated to 350 C. without discernible decomposition.

On the other hand, the polymer B3 was less stable to heat than the other polymers; it started to decompose at 250 C. and as distinguished from the other polymers it had a softening point of about 220 C. which may facilitate some of its uses.

The present invention has only been described by way of some representative embodiments which should not be taken as limitations. Any useful modification of these embodiments may of course be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. A process for preparing an amorphous, crosslinked polymer which comprises the steps of:

(a) preparing an unsaturated hydrocarbon-metal halide complex by reacting a halogenated hydrocarbon with a metal carbonyl at a temperature in the range of 3,440,234 5 6 0 to 250 C., said halogenated hydrocarbon being References Cited selected from the group consisting of: UNITED STATES PATENTS (l) halogenated olefins containing at least 2 halogen atoms and in which 2 of such halogen atoms 31116372 12/1963 Stewart at 5 OTHER REFERENCES occupy asymmetrical positions or symmetrical Webb, I. D. and Borcherdt: Coupling of Allylic Halides positions in relation to the double bond, and (2) awmatc hydmcarbms by Nickel Carbonyl, in J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 73, pp.

2654 and 2655, June 1951.

containing at least 2 halogen atoms in which at least 2 of such halogen atoms are extranuclear; and

(b) contacting the complex obtained in step (a) with water so as to dissolve the metal halide contained in said complex.

2. An amorphous, crosslinked polymer prepared by the process of claim 1.

10 JOSEPH L. SCHOFER, Primary Examiner.

JOHN A. DONAHUE, JR., Assistant Examiner.

U.S. c1. X.R. 15 26091.5, 92.1 

